In the run-up to the Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen announced that he would stay with Red Bull Racing for the 2026 season.

GPblog previously reported that the Austrian team will not continue with the Japanese Yuki Tsunoda as the second driver alongside Verstappen.  

According to Montoya, Hadjar has a very strong chance of stepping into this role. The Colombian also mentioned that Lindblad, the promising talent from the Red Bull stable, is not yet ready for Formula 1.

After surprisingly securing his first pole position of the season in Hungary, edging out the two McLarens on his final Q3 attempt, Charles Leclerc suddenly saw his dreams of victory vanish like magic.

After expertly holding off Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris for the first 40 laps, the Monegasque driver inexplicably and suddenly faltered after his final pit stop, not only losing positions to the two McLaren drivers but also to George Russell, who capitalized to secure his sixth podium of the season.

It was the Mercedes driver himself who was the first to try to explain what happened, suggesting that Ferrari had raised the ride height by increasing tyre pressure to prevent excessive plank wear, which could have led to disqualification like in China.

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has also weighed in on what happened to the Monegasque during the race.

Max Verstappen has likely arrived on the Italian island of Sardinia. According to the Dutch driver’s plane tracking account on X, his aircraft has touched down there. The last time Verstappen landed in Sardinia, it sparked plenty of speculation about his future.

Before the Belgian and Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen was also found in Sardinia, where his boat was also located at that time.

The team boss of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, had his boat in the same harbour. Speculations arose about a possible conversation between Wolff and Verstappen, but both camps confirmed to GPblog that no conversation had taken place.